Icebreaker on walk the talk for Senior Managers

1) A very important aspect of leadership is integrity. Do what you say and say what you do. Take
your group and line them up in front of you facing you. You will model what they are to emulate
from you.

Start out with body language and verbal instructions to match. i.e. step forward with your leg and
arm and say forward at the same time. Backward and say backward, left, say left, and right say right.
Practice with the group until everyone is doing and saying what you are as a cohesive team.

Now say, boring right? Way too easy too!

Now switch it up and tell them they will say what you say but do the opposite!

Next, have them do what you do but say the opposite!

They will be confused because there is no one leading by way of example. Integrity is lost when
leaders say one thing but do another.

End it with everyone doing it together as a cohesive team, emulating you with gusto!

It is so much better for everyone to do what they say and say what they do!

2) Divide the group into two teams. Use a simple mystery game with clues. It could be a murder
mystery or, based on a dozen clues, tell us who sat next to whom at dinner. Mention there is a prize
for the first team to solve it correctly. Afterwards, have everyone answer a questionnaire you have
created based on leadership.

Such as, How did you contribute to team? Did you listen to everyone's suggestions? How did you
persuade others? Were you open to other's suggestions? Did you "shut down" if your suggestions
were not accepted? Were you persuaded from your ideas?

Now debrief - with questions like: Why or why not? How does this affect your decision making?
Does this improve your decision making? How did others on your team react to this? Did you make
a negative impact on your team? Would you have acted differently if there was not a prize?

Finally - How does this impact your company and your leadership?

3) Amitabh Bachchan - a candidate rejected for news broadcaster post because of his voice and
obnoxiously long name, Dr A.P.J. Kalam - fifth among seven sibling of a poor father, selling
newspaper to earn living, the first rocket he built crashed, a missile that he built crashed multiple
times, made a butt of ridicule -the man who scripted the Indian space odyssey single handedly, The
Beatles Group Boys-four nervous young musicians played their first record audition for Decca
recording company turned down by the executives telling them guitars are on way out and we do not
like your sound, Albert Einstein- told by his teacher that he would not become any body in his life,
Wilma Rudolph-20th of 22 children contracted double pneumonia, scarlet fever paralyzing her left
leg became a world famous athlete, Elvis Presley-fired by Jimmy Denny the manager of the Grand
Ole Opry after one performance telling him to go back and drive a truck etc etc.
 Capuccino Stories

BREAKING THE BARRIERS

This is the story of the four-minute mile. For thousand of years, people held the belief that it was
impossible for a human being to run the mile in less than four minutes. In ancient Egypt it was said
that they released lions to chase after slaves in order to break the four-minute mile. These attempts
too proved to be futile. The best time ever recorded was 4:06, and there was no way the barrier
would be broken. Scientists, doctors and experts declared that there was no way, a man could run a
mile under four minutes. They said that if any person should try, His heart will jump right out of his
body. This negative belief continued until a man by the name of Roger Bannister decided not to
believe in the experts, and others. Roger Bannister believed in himself. He went through a systematic
training program and in 1954 he ran the mile in less than four minutes. Thus the barrier was finally
broken, and within one year later, 37 other runners also broke it.

Success principles : Roger Bannister, chose not to believe in others, but to believe in himself. He
had to change his own belief about the possibility of the four-minute mile. He got into shape
physically and mentally. He actually visualized himself breaking the four-minute barrier, since no
one had ever done it before. The greatest aspect of his breakthrough was what it did for others. If
Roger Bannister can do it, so can we!

Motivational quote : "Don't spend your precious time asking 'Why isn't the world a better place?' It
will only be time wasted. The question to ask is 'How can I make it better?' To that there is an
answer." Well, you also have the potential to break any barriers you desire!!

THE SECRET OF SUCCESS

There was once a boy who wanted to seek the secret of success. One day he approached a wise man
living up in the mountain. When he found the wise man at the hut, he asked, Wise man, can you tell
me the secret to becoming successful in life? The wise man was silent for a while. After a moment
of silence, the wise man led the young lad to a nearby river. They kept walking into the river until
the boys head was fully submerged in the water. The boy struggled to keep his head above the
water. To his astonishment, the wise man did not help him. Instead, the wise man held the boys head
in the water. After a few minutes the wise man pulled the boy out of the water and they proceeded to
walk back to the hut. At the hut the wise man asked the young boy what he desired most when his
head was submerged in water. To this the young boy quickly responded, Of course, I wanted to
breathe, you old fool! To which the wise man replied, Son, if you desire success as much as you
wanted to breathe, then you would have found the true secret of success.

Success principles : Success is a matter of choice. If we have enough strong reasons, there is
nothing that we cannot do. Once we have the reasons to do something, we will surely find the ways
to do it. A mere wish would not make things happen. It is a burning desire, turned into an obsession
that will generate the energy to bring you to achieve any goal that you may desire.

Motivational quote : "Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather the one who offers faithful
service in small matters. This is the person who is most likely to achieve what is good and lasting."

Everything Happens For The Good

There was once a King who had a wise advisor. The advisor followed the King everywhere, and his
favorite advice was, Everything happens for the good. One day the King went hunting and had a
little accident. He shot an arrow at his own foot and was injured. He asked the advisor what he
thought about the accident, to which the advisor replied, Everything happens for the good. This
time the King was really upset and ordered for his advisor to be put in prison. The King asked his
advisor, Now, what do you think? The advisor again replied, Everything happens for the good.
So the advisor remained in prison.
The King later went on a hunting trip, this time without the advisor. The King was then captured by
some cannibals. He was taken to the cannibals' camp where he was to be the evening meal for the
cannibals. Before putting him into the cooking pot he was thoroughly inspected. The cannibals saw
the wound on the Kings foot and decided to throw him back into the jungle. According to the
cannibals' tradition, they would not eat anything that was imperfect. As a result the King was spared.
The King suddenly realized what his advisor said was true. The advisor also escaped death because
had he not been in prison, he would have followed the King on the hunting trip, and would have
ended up in the cooking pot.

Success Principles : It is true that everything in life happens for a purpose, and always for our own
good. If you think about it, all our past experiences actually happened to bring us to where we are
today, and it is always for the good. All the past experiences makes us a better person. So, whatever
challenges that we may face today, consider it happening to bring us to the next level.

FINGER LICKIN' GOOD

He was 65 years old when he received his first social security check of $99. He was broke, and
owned a small house and a beat up car. He made a decision that he has got to change. The only idea
he had was a chicken recipe, which his friends liked. With that idea in mind, he took massive action.
He left his home in Kentucky and traveled to many states in the US to sell his idea. He told the
restaurant owners that he had a chicken recipe that people liked and he was giving it to them for free.
What he wanted in return was for the restaurant owners to pay him a small percentage on the pieces
of chicken sold. He got rejections after rejections, but did not give up. In fact, he got over 1000
rejections. He got 1009 nos before he got his first yes.

With that one success Colonel Harland Sanders changed the eating habits of the whole world with
Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Success principles : Age is no barrier to success, and so is capital. What is needed is an idea put into
action, followed with proper planning and persistency. How many of us will keep knocking on doors
when we have received 1000 rejections? I presume not many! This is why there are not many
successes like Colonel Sanders.

Motivational quote : "Any man's life will be filled with constant and unexpected encouragement if
he makes up his mind to do his level best each day."

SEE YOUR REACHING

The Catalina Island is twenty-one miles away from the coast of California, and many people have
taken the challenge to swim across it. On July 4th 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the water
off Catalina Island to swim across to the California coast. She started well and on course, but later
fatigue set in, and the weather became cold. She persisted, but fifteen hours later, numb and cold, she
asked to be taken out of the water.
After she recovered, she was told that she had been pulled out only half a mile away from the coast.
She commented that she could have made it, if the fog had not affected her vision and she would
have just seen the land. She promised that this would be the only time that she would ever quit.

She went back to her rigorous training. And two months later she swam that same channel. The same
thing happened. The fatigue set in, and the fog obscured her view, but this time she swam with faith
and vision of the land in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind the fog was land. She
succeeded and became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She even broke the mens
record by two hours.
Success principles : When you set your goal, keep pressing on even when you are tired, physically
and mentally, and even though there are many challenges ahead. Keep the vision of your goal crystal
clear before you and never, never, never give up! See the reaching, commit to it, and you will
surely see your goal realized.

Motivational Quote : "I can't do everything, but I can do something. If we all did something, we
could conquer anything."

SEARCH NO MORE
Ali Hafed was a farmer from Africa, who was happy and contented. One day a priest came to visit
him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with having them. The
priest said, If you have a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had
a diamond the size of your fist, you could own the whole country. After the priest left, the farmer
could not sleep that night. He became unhappy and discontented with what he had, and the whole
night he thought to himself how rich and powerful he would become if he could possess some
diamonds.

The next morning, he sold off his farm, left his family with his neighbor, and set off to search for
diamonds. He traveled all over Africa, but could not find any. He looked all over Europe and
couldnt find any. Finally, he became emotionally, physically and financially broke and decided to
take his own life by throwing himself into the river.

Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran
through the farm. He suddenly saw a curious flash of light from the white sands of the shallow
stream. Reaching into the water, he pulled out a rough stone that sparkled like the colors of the
rainbow. Finding the stone interesting, he took it back to his house and placed it as a decoration
piece in his living room. One day the priest came to visit, and saw the sparkling stone. He exclaimed,
Here is a diamond! Is Hafed back? The man replied, No, no, Hafed has not returned, and that is
not a diamond. It is only a stone I found right here in the garden. When the priest heard this, he
declared, I know a diamond when I see one.
Together they rushed out to the garden stream and began searching. To their amazement, there came
up other more beautiful and valuable stones than the first. Thus, was discovered the largest diamond
mine in the world.
Success Principles : The above story, Acres of Diamonds was lectured by Russell H. Conwell more
than 6,000 times during his lifetime. With the funds from the above lectures he founded Temple
University. We are forever looking for opportunities elsewhere rather than within us. Acres of
Diamonds taught us that the riches and opportunities that we are searching are within us. As the
saying goes, the grass on the other side always appears to be greener. Diamonds in its rough form
do not look like diamonds. The raw diamonds need to be skillfully worked on and polished before
they are of value. Likewise most of us are like the raw diamonds, and need to be worked on and
polished before we realize our full potential.

Motivational Quote : "Society is like a crowd in carnival costumes with everyone fearful that others
will see through his disguise."

HE PLAYED HIS BEST

This is the story of Robby. He was a young boy who lived with his elderly mother. His mother
wanted him to learn how to play the piano because she longed to hear her son play for her. She sent
her son to a piano teacher who took Robby in under her guidance. However, there was one small
problem because Robby was not musically inclined and therefore was very slow in learning. The
teacher did not have much faith in the boy because of his weakness. The mother was very
enthusiastic and every week she would send Robby to the teacher.

One day Robby stopped attending the piano lessons. The teacher thought that he had given up and in
fact she was quite pleased since she did not give much hope to Robby. Not long after, the piano
teacher was given the task to organize a piano concert in town. She sent out circulars to invite the
students and public to attend the event. Suddenly, she received a call from Robby who offered to
take part in the concert. The teacher told Robby that he was not good enough and that he was no
longer a student since he had stopped coming for lessons. Robby begged her to give him a chance
and promised that he would not let her down.

Finally, she gave in and she put him to play last, hoping that he will change his mind at the last
minute. When the big day came, the hall was packed and the children gave their best performance.
Finally, it was Robbys turn to play and as his name was announced, he walked in. He was not in
proper attire and his hair was not properly groomed. The teacher was really nervous since Robbys
performance could spoil the whole evenings brilliant performance. As Robby started playing the
crowd became silent and was amazed at the skill of this little boy. In fact, he gave the best
performance of the evening. At the end of his presentation the crowd and the piano teacher gave him
a standing ovation.

The crowd asked Robby how he managed to play so brilliantly. With a microphone in front of him,
he said, I was not able to attend the weekly piano lessons as there was no one to send me because
my mother was sick with cancer. She just passed away this morning and I wanted her to hear me
play. You see, this is the first time she is able to hear me play because when she was alive she was
deaf and now I know she is listening to me. I have to play my best for her!
Success Principles : This is indeed a touching story of love and excellence. When you have a passion
and a reason to do something, you will surely excel. You may not be talented or gifted but if you
have a strong enough reason to do something, you will be able to tap into your inner God given
potential.

Motivational Quote : "Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start
believing in it."

THE FASTEST WOMAN ON EARTH

Wilma Rudolph was born into poverty in the state of Tennessee. When she was four years old she
had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, which left her paralyzed with polio. She had to wear
braces and the doctor said that she would not be able to walk normally again. Her mother
encouraged her and said that she could do anything she wanted if she only believed. Wilma said, I
want to be the fastest woman on this earth. At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she
removed the braces and took her first step. At the age of thirteen, she took part in her first race and
came way, way last. She entered various other races and came way, way last until one day, she came
in first. At the age of fifteen she went to Tennessee State University where she met a coach. She told
him that she wanted to become the fastest woman on the track, on this earth.

The coach replied, With your spirit nobody can stop you. In the 1960 Olympics Wilma Rudolph,
the paralytic girl, became the fastest woman on this earth by winning three gold medals - in the 100
meter race, 200 meter race, and 400 meter relay.

Success Principles : Who would have believed that a paralytic girl could have won three gold medals
in the Olympics? Wilma Rudolph did not see herself, as a cripple, but she saw herself as a winner.
She took control of her destiny and went after her dream with a vengeance. Along the way she had
to overcome challenges and discouragements but it was worthwhile when she collected her three
gold medals. If a crippled person like Wilma can make it big, what more can we do with a perfect
physical body.

Motivational Quote : "The past cannot be regained, although we can learn from it; the future is not
yet ours even though we must plan for it. Time is now. We have only today." We have potential
within us. All we need to do is believe and take the necessary action even when things get rough.

THE THREE VISITORS

A woman came home and saw three old men sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them but
invited them to enter her house to have something to eat. They asked, Is the man of the house,
home? She said, No, he is out! Then we cannot come in, they replied.

When her husband returned, she told him what had happened, and he told her to invite them in.
When she invited them, they replied, We cannot go into the house together. One of the old man
explained: His name is Wealth, he said, pointing to one of his friends, and pointing to the other
one, He is Success. I am Love. Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you
want in your home.
The couple had a discussion. The husband wanted to invite Wealth, in order to fill their home with
wealth. The wife on the other hand wanted to invite Success. Their daughter heard the commotion,
and came to join the discussion. She said that it would be better to invite Love so that their home
will be filled with love. Finally the couple agreed to follow the daughters advice. The wife went out
to invite Love as their guest. Love started walking into the house. The other two men also got up and
followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, I invited Love. Why are you two coming in? The
old men replied together, If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have
stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love,
there is also Wealth and Success!

Success Principles : Love is the glue that will bind us together. Love will conquer any obstacles and
challenges. Wealth and success will be meaningless without love. We need love in our life if we want
to live with joy. Wealth and success without love within our family and loved ones will be of little
value. What is the use of having wealth and success when there is no one to share it with, especially
with our spouse and children.

Motivational Quote : "He that does good for good's sake seeks neither paradise nor reward, but he is
sure of both in the end."

THE REAL TEST

One day a known person approached Chankya and enthusiastically started saying, Do you know,
just a while ago, I heard few things from you friend about you?

Chankya was famous for his wisdom, knowledge and good behavior. He said to his known person,
Before I listen to what you have to say, I would like to test it through my three step testing.

What is this three step test?, the person asked.

Chankya made him understand, Before you tell me about what my friend has said, let us test it. I
call this testing a three step test. The first test is of truth-ness. Is it sure that whatever you are going
to say is a truth?

No, the person dais, I have heard it from somewhere.

Okay, Chankaya analyzed. If you dont know whether this is truth or not, we will do another test.
The second test is for goodness. Are you going to tell me some good thing about my friend?

No, its opposite to it..

Then, Chankya asked further. Whatever you are going to say, is not the truth, is not positive about
my friend then lets do the third test. The third test is of usefulness. Whatever you are going to tell
me, is that useful to me?

No, its not like that.

Chankya then said the last thing.

Whatever you are suppose to tell me, it is not true, its not positive and its not useful also, then why
you want to tell me?

Morale: Any Information Must Be Checked On These Three Parameters Of Truthness, Goodness
And Usefulness.

CATCHING MONKEYS

The way to catch a monkey is to use a box with a small opening at the top- big enough for the
monkey to slide its hand inside. Inside the box are nuts to lure the monkeys. The monkey will grab
the nuts with its hand and forms a fist. When the monkey tries to get its hand out, the opening will be
too small for the fist to come out. The monkey has a choice to either let go of the nuts in order to
escape or to hang on to the nuts and get captured. It is sad that the monkey will hold on to the nuts
and risks being caught.

Success Principles : The monkey was caught because of its greed. Most of us behave like the
monkey. We hold on to old things and ideas that can no longer help us to succeed. We fear the
uncertainties the future may bring and so we refuse to change. We are comfortable with where we
are and what we have, so we prefer to remain there. To move forward in life we have to let go of the
past and move ahead in faith. We may even have to break traditions. Let the dead bury the dead, just
press on!

Motivational Quote : "Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other man to die."

WHO PUSHED ME?

There was a wealthy man who wanted to choose a husband for his only daughter. One day he invited
the eligible young men from the whole town. During the occasion, when everyone was present he
made an announcement, Today, I am going to choose a husband for my daughter. Anyone who can
swim across this pool can have my daughters hand in marriage and inherit half of my wealth. The
only challenge is that the pool is full of alligators. With that announcement everyone present was
silent.

Suddenly, there was a loud splash, and in a matter of seconds a young man swam across the pool to
the other side. Everybody cheered at the heroic feat of the young man. The wealthy man walked
towards the young man and congratulated him. The young man said, Sir, I am not interested in
marrying your daughter. What I want to know is the name of the person who pushed me into the
pool?

Success principles : There are various types of motivation, and the one that is related to the above
story is fear motivation. Sometimes, to bring out the best in us or in others, we have to use fear
motivation. We have potentials within us but we need to stir it up with motivation and inspiration.
However, fear motivation will only work in the short term, because people will get accustomed to it
in the long run.

Motivational Quote : "So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable,
and then when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable."
DREAM OF FLIGHT

In the late 1800s, a well-known bishop was traveling the United States, speaking to religious and
academic leaders. At one of his stops, he was invited to have dinner with some prominent leaders.
During the dinner he was asked, What do you think the future holds for us? After a moments
pause, he replied, The future is bleak, and in my opinion, we have discovered all there is to
discover, created all there is to create, and invented all there is to invent. One of the leaders
commented, I think someday, man shall learn to fly like the birds. To this, the bishop replied, You
are mad, flight is only reserved for the angels. With that statement he stormed out of the room. The
good news was that the bishops last name was Wright! Years later, his two sons Orville and Wilbur,
made the dream of flying real on the windswept salt marshes of Kitty Hawk.

Success Principles : We live in a world full of riches. We have to be open to the idea of change. What
is needed to tap into the vast potential of this world are new and better ideas. Never under rate
yourself and others. Others will ridicule and laugh at your ideas but you will have the last laugh at
the end.

Motivational Quote : "There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in
succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures."

HOW TO BOIL A BULLFROG?

Years ago some scientists did a simple experiment on a bullfrog. They threw a bullfrog into a
container of boiling water, and the bullfrog instantly popped out of the boiling water. Next they put
the bullfrog into a container of cold water. The bullfrog liked it and stayed in the container. The
scientists then turned on the heat at the bottom of the container. As the water got warmer, the
bullfrog relaxed and took a nap. The bullfrog was so comfortable that it stayed in the container and
was cooked.

Success Principles : Most of us are in the comfort zone. We have a house to go home to, a nice bed
to sleep on, food in the fridge, a group of friends to mingle with, along with some basic necessities
of life. We have worked hard to get to where we are now. So why should we change this?

The truth is most of us are like the bullfrog, because we feel warm and comfortable, we refuse to get
out of our comfort zone, and prefer to stay where we are. In life we are either creating or
disintegrating. There is no such thing as staying where we are, because there is always movement.
So if we are not moving ahead in life, we must by nature, be moving in the opposite direction.

Motivational Quote : "It is inevitable that some defeat will enter even the most victorious life. The
human spirit is never finished when it is defeated... it is finished when it surrenders."

HE BURNED HIS BOATS

A long time ago there was a great General who was faced with a situation which made it necessary
for him to make a drastic decision to insure his success on the battlefield. He was about to send his
army on shore to face a powerful enemy, whose men outnumbered his. He loaded his soldiers into
boats, and sailed to face the enemies on shore. When they reached the shore, he ordered them to
unload the soldiers and cargoes. He then ordered for all the ships and boats to be burned. Addressing
his men before the battle, he said, You see the ships and boats going up in smoke. That means that
we cannot leave these shores alive unless we win! We now, have no choice either we win, or we
perish. They WON!

Success Principles : Just like the General, we have to burn all our bridges if we want to achieve
success. There can be no room for retreat and we must have an attitude of, Whatever it takes,
taking into consideration that we can have anything we desire provided we do not violate Universal
Laws and the rights of our fellow human beings. Do not dwell on the past. Move forward with
confidence and we will surely see success, unexpected in common hours.

Motivational Quote : "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and
endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

She was born normal on 27th June 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. When she was 19 months old she
had a severe fever and illness which left her blind and deaf. As a result she could not speak. Over the
next five years she was a problem child, always in uncontrollable rage and violence. When she was
seven years old her parents sought help for the young girl. Help came in the form of Annie
Mansfield Sullivan. With love, patience, and understanding given by Annie, the little girl gradually
awaken her intellectual faculty and was born again.

The stubborn, headstrong, self-willed, and almost unmanageable child became patient, gentle and
obedient. She developed an eagerness to learn. At 16 years old she could speak well enough to enter
college, and she later graduated from Radcliffe College.

After her graduation Helen Keller dedicated her life to bringing messages of hope and courage to the
handicapped people everywhere. Helen Kellers books were translated into more than 50 languages.
She lectured in over 25 countries and raised millions of dollars for the benefit of the blind.

Success Principles : The success of Helen Keller is the story of Annie Sullivan. She was the one who
believed in the hidden potential of Helen Keller. With love, patience, understanding and
encouragement Annie Sullivan managed to help Helen Keller awaken the sleeping giant within her.
A successful person is a person who is willing to give of himself for the betterment of another
human being. Practice giving! Helen Keller on the other hand had to overcome challenges to be a
blessing to others.

Motivational Quote : "I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to
elevate his life by conscious endeavor."

TWENTY YEARS COMMITMENT

Oliver Napoleon Hill was born to a poor family in 1883. He fought his way out of his backwoods
Virginia town with a burning desire to be successful. He was always searching for ways to improve
himself and was involved in numerous ventures, including managing a coal-mine, practicing law,
and becoming a business journalist. His big break came when he had the opportunity of meeting
Andrew Carnegie, the Steel King. Andrew Carnegie asked Napoleon Hill if he would take up the
challenge of devoting 20 years of his life in order to prepare a formula of success for helping others
to become successful. Andrew Carnegie would provide him with letters of reference to meet
hundreds of successful people in the likes of Woodrow Wilson, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison,
Theodore Roosevelt, John D. Rockefeller, to name a few. Napoleon Hill made his decision to take up
the challenge in less than 60 seconds. Later he came to know that Andrew Carnegie had given him
60 seconds to make up his mind, failing which he would have lost his chance of undertaking the
important assignment. After 20 years of dedicated research in 1937 he came out with his best seller,
Think And Grow Rich, which has helped countless of people around the world to achieve success.
One of his famous saying was, Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can
achieve.

Success Principles : Successful people make up their mind fast, but are slow at changing their mind
once they make their decision. On the other hand those who are not too successful tend to be slow at
making up their mind and quick to change after the decision is made. In actual fact most people do
not make their own decisions at all, because their decisions are made for them or influenced by
others. It is also true that whatever your mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve. The key
word here is believe.

Motivational Quote : "When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way you will
command the attention of the world."

TWENTY YEARS LATER

In 1953 Yale University did a research on its graduating seniors. The graduates interviewed were
asked if they had a clear, specific set of goals written down with a plan for achieving those goals.
Only 3 percent had their goals written down. Twenty years later, in 1973, these surviving graduates
were tracked down and interviewed again. It was discovered that the 3 percent with specific written
down goals were worth more financially as compared to the 97 percent put together. They were also
more successful in other areas of their lives.

Success Principles : The above story clearly demonstrates the importance of having specific written
down goals. The goals must be specific in terms of what you desire, the precise date you desire to
achieve it, and what you are willing to give in return for the goals. It must be written down and read
every single day. If you write down something that you may not believe at the moment but if you
read it long enough, you will start to believe and act upon it.

Motivational Quote : "We either make ourselves happy or miserable. The amount of work is the
same."